Can opener



April 28, 1925- 1,536,026

M. D. MOORE CAN OPENER Fil'a Fes. 5. 192@ .4 Sa 'lli/[1111. 'Il' 7. 'l 'lll Iliff/1.

34 anfoz nui. v

Patented Apr. 28, l925.

UNITED STATES i 1,536,026 PATENT OFFICE.

MAR-CUSD. MOORE, OF WAVELAND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO FRANKEORTl NOVELTY CO'MPANY, 0F FRANKFORT, CLINTON COUNTY, INDIANA.

` CAN OPENER.

Application led February 5, 1923. Serial No. 617,085.

To c/.ZZ whom t may concern: l

p Be it known that I, MARoUs D. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVaveland, .in the county of Montgomery and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and vexact description of the in- `vention, such as will enable Others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in that type of can openers designed to be swung pivotally about a can top or a portion thereof, and has as its object the easy and efiicient removal of a can top in a manner leaving the body of the can entirely open and free of Overhanging parts or jagged edges for allowing discharge of the contents of the can in its entirety. i

. With this and further objects in view as will in part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated,ithe invention comprises certain novel constructions, combina-tions and arrangements of parts as subsequently specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure `l is an inverted,` plan View of a can opener `embodying the features ofthe present invention, the cutting blade being shown in full lines in an inoperative position and in dotted lines in an Operative position.

Figure 2 is aplan view of the same with thecutting blade seen in an operative posi tion. y i

Figure `3 is a transverse, vertical section taken on` the plane indicated b line 8-3 of Figure 2r and looking in the ire-ction indicated bythe arrows, the parts being shown on a greatly enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a, fragmentary, edge view` of the parts on the scale seen inFigure 3.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1

indicates an elongated, slotted plate which, because of its function, will be hereinafter referred to as the handle. One end portion of the handle or plate l terminates in an integralor appropriately afxed shank 2 having a penetrating point 3. The shank 2 is` the operator in grasping handle l may eX crt downward pressure on the point 3 for forcing it through the metal of` a can cap The handle 1 is provided with a iongi tudinal central slot 4, and at one face of the handle is arranged a cutting blade 5 and at the other a detent plate 6. That face of the handle lat which appears the plate 6 may properly be referred to as the upper face since itis thatface which is exposed upwardly when the instrument is in operative position in engagement with acan, and the relative location of the parts Will be hereinafter mentioned with this disposition of the instrument in mind. Also, the end of the handle l having the shank 2 will be referred to as the lfront end for convenience, and other parts` correspondingly referred to.

The blade 5 consists of a flat plate resting for the major portion of its length against the under face of handle 1 and offset toward the front portion of the blade, as indicated at'7, so that the cutting edge 8 of the blade 5 is spaced from the under face of the handle 1, whereby the cutting edge 8 is adapted-to engage a portion of the can body slightly below the top of the can Whenthe shank the handle l rests horizontally on the can."

The cutting edge 8 is preferably inclined or oblique to the edges of the plate forming the blade 5, so that the foremost terminus of the cutting edge 8 forms a penetrating point, as clearly seen in Figure 1. As the plate forming the blade 5 is made preferably of light sheetmaterial, and as it is desirable that such blade shall possess considerable stability, the plate is stiffened by having corrugat-ions 9, 9 stamped llongitudinally therein, the said corrugations extending from pointstoward `the rear portion of the blade longitudinally thereof up the offset portion 7 and terminating just short of the cutting edge 8. The blade 5 and plate 6 are connected preferably by a rivet consisting of an enlarged central portion l() and reduced terminal portions 11, Il, one of the terminal portions penetrating the blade 5 and the other the plate 6, and each being swaged up to form a rivet head for pivotally ion connecting the plate and blade. The enlarged portion 1() is otl a size suficient to snugly tit within the slot l so as to hold the connected parts in proper alinement while leaving them free to have the required slight pivotal action.

The handle 1 is formed along one edge of slot t with a ratchet ot appropriate serrations 12, and the plate 6 at its rear end is provided with a rearwardly extending tongue bent downwardly to an offset position, indicated at 13, the offset portion 13 of the tongue being thus arranged in the slot t in posit-'ion to be swung into and out of any of the notches or serrations 12. The blade 5 at one edge is provided with an upwardly bent lip 14, which extends past the edge ol the handle 1 and past the corresponding edge ot the plate 6, the plate G being provided with an otlsetv projection 15 extending in position tor being` engaged by the lip-14. 'At the opposite side. olf the plate 6 fronrlip 14, the plate 6 is provided with an upwardly extending lip 1G, the two lips 14 and 16 heilig so arranged that in operation the handle l, being grasped. in the. hand of the operator, will naturally7 fall in such a position as to enable the thumb of' the operator to rest against the outer face of the lip 1G while the 'fore-finger of the operator engages the outer face of the lip 14 so that the parts may be readily stressed to the position retaining the tongue 13 in engagement with any one ot the notches 1Q. Release ot such engagement may be ellected merely by relieving the pressure ot the fore-linger on the lip lll and the exertion of pressure by the thumb on lip 1G. Such a shifting oll pressure will cause the tongue 13 to move from the position seen in Figure 2 out into the central portion of the slot, as seen in full lines in Figure 1, whereupon the blade 5 and plate 6 are'tree to slide longitudinally of the handle 1 as may be required.

In operation, the penetrating point 3 is forced through the top of the can as nearly as possible at the central point of the top, and the handle 1 is moved from its edgewise position down to a flat position rest ing ontop ot the can, the shank 2 entering the aperture formed by the penetrating point during the movement ot the handle to its lowered position. The blade 5 and plate (5 will` in the meantime, have been shifted toward the rear ot the handle, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, so as to be clear ot the can until the handle is in proper position. rThen the blade and plate are moved toward the can until the penetrating point of blade 5 enters the side wall ot the can. The handle is then swung clockwise about the can, the cutting edge 8 severing the wall of the can itself up near the line of the cap, andassoon as the handle has completed one rotation about the can, the entire top ot' the can will be seyered and may be removed, leaving thc upper end ot' the can completely free tor enabling discharge of the contents in its entirety, thus avoiding the bruising` otl fruit or other substances and detracting from the appetizing appearance thereof. It is to be noted that it the operator tails to get the point 3 exactly in the center ot' tlnl can top, any slight difference may be compensated for by the length of the inclined cutting edge 8, but in case the center is missed by a distance greater than the distance represented by such incline additional compensation may be provided by shifting of the blade 5 inward or outward as required during the. course ot the cutting operation.

lVhat is claimed is:-

1. In a can opener, the combination, with a handle, and a penetrating point therefor. o't a cutter blade engaging the handle and adjustable longitudinally thereof, a detent plate connected to the blade and movable relative thereto to and trom a position for retaining` the blade at any of its adjusted positions, means carried by the blade for shitting the detent plate to the retaining position, and a projection extending 'from the detent plate into position for being engaged by said shifting means.

2.v In a can opener, the combination, with a handle, and a penetrating point therefor` of a cutter blade engaging the handle and adjustable longitudinally thereof, a detent plate connected to the blade and movable relative thereto to and Jfrom a position for retaining the blade at any of its adjusted positions, means carried by the blade for shitting the detent plate to the retaining` position, and means on the plate forshifting the same out ot' the retaining` position.

3. In a can opener, the combination, with a handle having a penetrating point, and a longitudinal slot, of a blade at one side ot the handle, and a detent plate at the other, means pivotally connecting the blade and plate through the slot, the handle being formed with locking notches along one edge o'tr the' slot, a projection extending from the detent plate into the slot in position for heilig' shifted pivotally to and from engagement with any one of the notches, and a lip extending from the blade past the edge et the handle in position for engaging and stressing the detent plate toward a position of engagement ot the projection with a notch.

4. In a can opener, the combination, with a handle having a penetrating point, and a longitudinal slot, ot a blade at one side ot the handle and a detent plate at the other. means pivotally connecting the blade and plate through the slot, the handle being formed with locking notches along one'edge of the slot, a projection extending from the detent plate into the slot in position for being shifted pivotally to and from engagement with any one of the notches, a lip eX- tending from the blade past the edge of the handle in position for engaging and stressing the detent plate toward a position of engagement of the projection with a notch, and a lip extending from that edge of the detent plate opposite the place of engagement of the blade-carried lip.

5. In a can opener, the combination, with a handle having a penetrating point and a longitudinal slot, of a. cutting blade at one face of the handle and a detent plate at the other, a rivet pivotally connecting the plate and handle and dimensioned to transversely lill the slot, and means for locking the detent plate at various points of adjustment along the handle.`

6. In a can opener, the combination, With a handle formed of a flat plate slotted longitudinally and having a terminal penetrating point, of a cutting blade at one face of the handle, a detent plate-at the other face of the handle, a pivotal connection between the blade and plate extending through the slot, the handle being formed Wit-h a series` of notches `opening into the slot, a ,projection on the detent plate adapted to move freely Within the slot and to be moved pivotally into and out of the notches, a lip projecting from the blade past the detent plate in position for engaging the edge of the detent plate and stressing the same toward a position of interlock of the projection with a notch, and a lip turned from the detent plate to extend in the same direction as the firstmentioned lip and spaced therefrom substantially for the Width of the handle.

7. In a can opener, the combination, With a handle having means of pivotal engagement with a can, of a cutting blade engaging and shiftable longitudinally of the handle, and a detent connected to the blade and shiftable edgevvise independently of the blade into engagement with the handle for locking the blade in various operative positions along the handle.

8. In a can opener, the combination, 4With a handle having means of pivotal engagement With a can, of a cutting blade engaging and shiftable longitudinally of the handle, the handle being formed notches, and a plate pivoted to the blade to swing'edgevvise of the blade into and out of engagement with said notches.

9. In a can opener, the combination of a handle having means of pivotal engagement with a can, said handle being of relatively thin flat material and formed with a longitudinal` slot notched at one side, a cutting blade, and a plate pivotally connected by means extending through the slot, and the plate being formed With a projection extending into the slot and adapted to enter any of said notches incident to pivotal Inovement of the plate. a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tivo Witnesses.

MARCUS D. MOORE. litnesses BNJAMAN F. ARNOLD, CHARLES E. LoUeH.

with 

